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Land of the Lost: Downstream
"Downstream" is the fourth episode of season one of the children's television series Land of the Lost. Directed by series producer Dennis Steinmetz and written by Larry Niven, the episode first aired on NBC on Saturday, September 28th, 1974. In this episode, the Marshall family attempt to leave the Land of the Lost by building a raft and taking it downstream. Their journey gets diverted however when they come upon an underground tunnel populated with Sleestaks and a time-lost 19th century prospector named Jefferson Davis Collie. Synopsis ]] The Marshalls build a raft so they can take it downstream in the hopes of finding a more hospitable place to live, or better yet, a way home. As they pass through the swamp towards the open river, Holly waves goodbye to Dopey. Unfortunately, Grumpy appears and begins roaring at them. Will paddles the raft faster and they manage to keep their distance from the hungry Tyrannosaur. The river takes them through an underground tunnel, but as they continue on their way, they hear the rushing sounds of a waterfall directly in front of them. They realize that they need to sacrifice their raft to leap to safety. Rick Marshall helps Will and Holly leap to the side of the cavern, but Rick nearly doesn't make it himself. Will and Holly pull him to safety and the wooden raft goes over the falls. Stranded in the tunnel, they decide to explore it in the hopes of finding another exit that might lead back to the river. The tunnel brings them to an immense cavern littered with glowing rocks and stalagmites. The bigger surprise however is the presence of another human being. Looking down from the exit of the tunnel they find a prospector named Jefferson Davis Collie, III. Collie is a time-lost adventurer just like the Marshalls, however, it is clear that he comes from the American south during the time of the Civil War. Collie has in his possession a cannon, which he named Sarah. The isolation of living in this dry underground riverbed has had an affect on Collie's sanity and he keeps vigil behind his cannon as he speaks with the Marshalls. He tells them that if they help him prospect for jewels, he will provide them with food. As they work, Will notes that the crystal formations in this cave are brighter than the rocks that they have seen in other caves. Rick theorizes that they must give off great power, perhaps even enough to open the doorway back to Earth. Collie shows them how touching a red stone with a blue one will generate a burst of bright light. This is an ideal strategy for warding off Sleestaks. Holly even finds the skull of a dead Sleestak as well as some other fossil remains. Rick argues with Collie about staying in the caverns, but as their conversation gets more heated, a group of Sleestak appear on the bluff above them. Collie mans his cannon and fires a shot that forces the Sleestak to retreat. Holly grows thirsty and asks Collie for some water. He tries to tempt her with a flask of fermented mushrooms and fish juice, citing that it would put hair on her chest. Holly declines the opportunity to grow a hairy chest and asks for water instead. Collie scampers off to get some water and the Marshalls decide to follow him to see if he knows the way to the riverbed. As they trek through the tunnels however, the Sleestaks return and give chase. They catch up with the old prospector at the riverbed and narrowly avoid being shot with Sleestak crossbow bolts. Collie and the Marshalls have little choice but to take their chances with the river. They dive in and swim downstream until they exit the cavern. They come to discover that the river circles back around and brings them to their starting point. They see Dopey and the Pylon. Will grows frustrated and wonders if they will ever find a way home. Collie doesn't care disenfranchised with the notion of living in an area populated by dinosaurs and decides he would be better off back in his cave with his cannon, Sarah. Cast Principal Cast Guest Stars Notes & Trivia * This episode is included on disc 1 of the Land of the Lost: Season 1 DVD collection and Land of the Lost: The Complete First Season collection and disc 1 of the Land of the Lost: The Complete Series DVD collection. * This is the first episode to feature actor Walker Edmiston. In this episode he plays Confederate soldier Jefferson Davis Collie. In future episodes he will play the time-lost Altrusian, Enik, beginning with "The Stranger". * Jefferson Davis Collie, III fell through the dimensional portal at some point prior to the end of the American Civil War, but after the Battle of Gettysburg. No explanation is provided as to how the cannon came with him. He has been stranded in the Land of the Lost for at least the past several years. * According to Jefferson Davis Collie, Sleestak tastes like lobster. * The song that Collie is singing in the beginning of the episode is "Dixie", a Southern American folk song that became the anthem for the Confederate States of America. * This episode establishes that the Marshalls are from California. * Rick Marshall alludes to the idea that Sleestaks are carnivorous and are known to eat humans. Although there is nothing to counter this notion, there has also never been any evidence to support it either. Very little information exists concerning Sleestak dietary requirements. Allusions * Bloopers * Quotes * See also External Links * * * * * * ---- Category:1974/Episodes Category:Dennis Steinmetz/Director Category:Larry Niven/Writer Category:Marty Krofft/Producer Category:Sid Krofft/Producer Category:Albert J. Tenzer/Executive producer Category:Gene Warren/Associate producer Category:Episodes with crew categories Category:Episodes with plot summaries